Partners in love
by Hayleyharmony
Summary: Things between Amy and Jake were, to put it in Avril Lavigne's words, complicated. With Jake's confession hanging in the air, they find their feelings to be as mixed up as ever. Jake and Amy are falling for one another and they don't know what to do about it. Can they get their relationship back to normal? Better yet, will they want it to? Hilarity, craziness, & cuteness insures.
1. Chapter 1

The past weeks have been interesting as ever at the Nine-Nine. Except for the fact that Jake Peralta confessed he had romantic feelings for Amy Santiago months ago, and now he was back. To say the least it was…awkward. It's not that Amy wasn't happy to have him back, she truly was! However, they had been treading on thin ice around each other since his return. They were attempting to ignoring those words Jake said, and trying to get their relationship to be as normal as possible.

A few weeks into Jake's absence, Amy and Teddy had broken up. She couldn't explain it, but they just had drifted apart. She had mixed feelings about everything, feeling like her brain was playing an aggressive game of tug a war. It seems like many things in the precinct have turned complicated (like the whole Gina and Charles thing, who saw that coming!). However, she knew one thing; she had other feeling for Jake that weren't just platonic.

Amy had always liked Jake, but now she felt that she could like-like him, as childish as that sounds. She enjoyed her cases with him, no matter how strange it ended up being; it was nice in tense situations to be able to crack a smile that was normally put there by her partner. It made her ease up, which she was grateful for (not that she'd ever tell him that of course.)

But before, they mostly just teased each other, whether it was about her bad dates or about his immaturity, but over the past years, they've found themselves realizing that they share a deeper connection and have become conscious of the fact that they both actually…like each other. And that's what's worrying Amy recently; that she knows Jake has more than friend feelings for her, and she thinks she might too. She suspected that there might be something between them after they went on "the worst date ever" because it didn't turn out being bad. In addition, the whole thing with Jake cancelling the relief team was overwhelming. It turned out he didn't want their date to be awful after all! The thought of that made her stomach flip.

Every time Amy glanced over at his desk, he was concentrated at work. She found herself drifting off in thought. They couldn't just pretend Jake's confession didn't happen forever, It was going to have to come out eventually. Was it ridiculous that she actually wanted it to? They had become too close of friends for them to keep being uncomfortable around each other, they had to break the ice and get back into their groove as friends at the least!

Suddenly Amy started to hear snapping of fingers that shook her out of her dazed state. Amy pulled herself together shaking her head and realizing Jake had been trying to get her attention. "Hey Santiago, you see something you like over here? You kind of spaced out for a few seconds there," he questioned while smirking. His eyes giving off a flash of jubilance in them like he always has. However, this time they were hinted with nervousness, not knowing if he could still joke around with her normally.

"No! I was just in deep thought about… a case. I guess I was just really concentrating," Amy states, trying to cover up her rattled emotions that Jake didn't seem to be buying. "You know, what a great detective does," she adds. Quoting what he said about her back when she was thinking of working for The Vulture.

She felt like their exchange was going good, they were close to going back to their typical banter. However Jake rolled his eyes, rubbing his brow and looking down in discomfort.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" he drawled out.

He ducked his head down out of embarrassment. Jake knows he meant what he said, but emotions have always been hard for him, especially when it came to Amy Santiago.

"Nope! Your words of kindness will always be in my memory," Amy laughed.

However, the problem was that she couldn't get them out of her head for reasons Peralta didn't need to know about…

As uncomfortableness set in, Amy grabbed the files she was supposed to be focusing on in the first place forlornly. She found herself being unable to resist getting one last glance at him before she got back to work. She witnessed him blowing out an uneasy breath silently, that he covered up with a not quite happy smile.

Amy furrowed her eyebrows, concerned at his demeanor. She didn't usually see him in an uneasy state often because of his constant confident facade. But when she did see it on her partner, it made her heart wrench. Battling out how you feel and not wanting to show it, is something Amy knows all too well. She figures he must feel incredibly embarrassed by admitting how he feels and not getting any reciprocation on multiple occasions; not just the "romantic stylez" conversation. This makes her frown and feel terrible about this whole situation. She has to ease his confliction somehow; it's not fair to him to just say nothing!

"Jake!" she said, a bit loudly to get his attention. He looked up and raised his eyebrows, conveying a look of surprise, waiting for her to continue. Amy gathered up her courage to say her next words.

"You're a great detective too, one of the best I've worked with, in fact. I like having you as a partner. Actually I like you a lot in general, even when you push my buttons."

Jake's face slowly went into a pleased smirk. His eyes gleamed in a way that bore playfulness in them, as if he was laughing at his own commentary in his head.

"Thanks Amy," He said sincerely. Giving last smile as he went pack to writing something nonchalantly.

Amy felt a tinge of delight after that, but still a bit uneasy because she knew they were still dodging the "romantic styles" discussion. She once again tried to go back to her file.

"_Nope. She didn't like Peralta more than that, not even a little bit_," She thought too herself.

"_Ok… a man that was 6 foot 2, broke into a Best Buy and_—." She was then interrupted from her thoughts by a balled-up sticky note hitting her in the face. She curiously un-crumbled it, and proceeded to read it.

"_I knew you actually liked me! I'll try not to be so extremely amazing so I'm not as distracting to you. You can't help but gawk at me at my desk! Don't want you getting lost in thought about me. ;)"_

Amy's jaw dropped to the floor at his preposterous, egoistic note. She angrily crumbled it back up and saw him starting to walk away. She threw it at the back of his head.

"I was trying to be nice! You're such a butthead!" she yelled over at him as he turned smirking, picking up the sticky note from the floor.

With a wide grin he on his face, he tossed the sticky note back and forth from hand to hand, and then met her infuriated look.

"A butthead who you think is a great detective!" He said suavely, throwing the sticky note back at her that she rolled her eyes and caught.

He gave her a softer look from his previous one, as he turned into another room. She couldn't help biting back a smile like she always ended up doing with most of their exchanges. Amy breathed out relief; maybe things could go back to the way they were… She fiddled the sticky note between her fingers, grinning down at it still. She suddenly halted her movements and dropped the sticky note back on her desk.

There it was again. That giddiness and warm feeling that was residing in her at this moment that made her eyes widen in shock. She put her head into her hands, "Oh no…" Amy muttered under her breath sighing.

Things were going to get much more complicated indeed…


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note: Hello all who might be reading this! I am a long time reader, but this is my first time publishing a fanfiction. Forgive me if I make some mistakes while trying to figure everything out! I do not own Brooklyn Nine-Nine or the fantastic characters of the show. I take great joy in writing this and I hope someone takes joy in reading!

Chapter 2

Jake actually found himself waking up earlier than usual a few days later. He had to restrain himself from throwing his phone at the wall when his wretched alarm went off. He hastily got up and got ready to get to work as fast as he could. The precinct has been having a bet going on of how many days they think he will show up late this month. They even keep a tally! To say the least, he did not want another mark on their list.

He was on the last turn he had to take to get to the precinct, when he spotted Amy's favorite coffee shop. She'd mentioned it hundreds of times to him whenever they stopped before a stake out.

"It's a beautifully mixed with caramel and chocolate with just the right amount of bitterness in the coffee." He could hear her say in his head.

If Amy were with him, she would be begging him to stop and convince him to get something too. The thought of it made Jake smile, he pulled over to stop at the shop and get coffee.

Jake lectured her whenever she suggested it, saying that it always took too long and the inside looked like a grandmother's living room. But she always just ignored his insults and sipped her coffee happily.

That was one of the reasons he teased her relentlessly. Not only because he liked to get under her skin, but because he loved when he made her smile. It filled him with joy, which is probably one of the reasons he was falling in love with her. He often had to control himself from smiling like a ridiculous idiot around her. He sighed and pulled over to the coffee shop.

After they called his number after a few minutes of waiting, he grabbed the coffees and ran out the door into his car. He ended up showing up at the precinct 10 minutes late and was greeted by shouts and claps as he walked through the door.

"Gina, that's another tally mark which means 8 times this month so far!" Rosa yelled with a look that seemed almost like a smile. He saw Terry shake his head, putting money into Rosa's hands.

"Ha-ha, Very funny!" he said making a sarcastic facial expression, bowing jocularly.

He rolled his eyes and continued walking as everyone went back to work. He then paused at Amy's desk, stopping in place. She met him with a jesting smile, arms crossed disapprovingly.

"So Peralta, what was it this time? Did you Shock yourself with your old toaster? Did the neighborhood stray cat got stuck in your bedpost again? Oh, I know! You're "Incredible" car finally broke down!" she exclaimed.

She Grinned brightly as he irritatingly shook his head, a smile ghosting his lips. He tried to contain his anticipation for what he was going to do next.

"No actually. But that hurts, you know that car is a wonder." She just raised an eyebrow, looking as if she was holding back a laugh. This gave him a push to reveal the coffee he had behind his back, putting it right in front of her.

"I was getting this for you," he spoke softly. Trying to come off casually as she sat froze in her spot. She quietly picked it up in disbelief and looked up at him.

"You actually stopped at my favorite place…I thought you hated it there and thought it was only somewhere where grandmas in knitting clubs will meet?" She whispered.

She proceeded to take a sip trying to calm her flustered state and tasted her usual delicious coffee.

"It is. But I saw it and I had extra time this morning so…I decided to stop in and get you one."

He suddenly felt embarrassed describing it to her. Sure, they both have got coffee for each other before, but it was just usually a small gesture between partners. But this felt…different, like something more than that.

"Thank you…" she responded after a few seconds.

He thought he saw a tint of color hinting at her cheeks. It caused him to give a warm sly smirk as she pushed out a shaky laugh, trying to avoid his gaze. He then carried on, walking over to his desk, and sitting down. He sipped his coffee smirking at her; she somehow felt more at ease by his composure and relaxed back in her chair.

"You know, you forgot whipped cream."

Jake sighed, "Santiago you drink one of the fluffiest coffees I've ever seen, you're going to get sugar crash," he pointed out playfully. Sipping at his coffee and then pointing to his drink. "Ah you see…this is just right. Not too much sugar, and with just a hint of cinnamon. You don't want to ruin the coffee," he lectured, sarcastically sniffing the steam coming out of his drink.

"Not too much sugar, Are you kidding?! You pour about five sugar packets in yours! In addition, it's ironic that this criticism is coming from the guy who eats fruit by the foot for breakfast!" she counters, pointing at the candy he also had on his desk.

Jake put a hand to his chest leaning back to try to look offended. "Excuse me my dear detective, but those are fruit roll ups. Respect the snacks!"

"My bad," she said rolling her eyes.

They both went back to work with smiles on their faces while drinking their coffee that would later be known as "The Peraltiago usual," made up by the baristas at the coffee shop that they became frequent patrons of from then on.


	3. Chapter 3

Authors note: Thank you to everyone who favorited or followed! Also thank you to guest user _Daisy_, who left a really kind review for me (sorry I couldn't figure out how to reply!), it means a lot! To whoever may be reading, I hope you enjoy it. I surely have enjoyed writing it, there's still a few more chapters to go! I do not own Brooklyn nine-nine or the characters. However, I made up the criminals and the Jake and Amy shipper woman in this chapter! :)

Chapter 3

Jake and Amy were called into Holt's office a few weeks later to get orders for a stake out. There had been an illegal arms dealing going on in Brooklyn, and now the precinct has finally figured out who the headmen are. It was Amy and Jake's job to catch them at their meet up tonight.

Usually stakeouts like this were a miserable, because of all the unknown information. Not knowing the exact time it was going to go down, and having to wait hours after hours late into the night. However, in this case, Jake and Amy felt a tinge of excitement. Not only because it was going to be a big bust, they both also quite enjoyed doing stake outs together. They always tried to find ways to amuse themselves and get the job done at the same time.

They didn't want to risk using a police car and give away their position, so taking one of their cars was their best bet at not getting discovered by the dealers.

"I'll be at your apartment by ten, well take my car." Jake said, on their way out Holt's door.

"No way, your car will die on us before we even get there! I'll pick you up, and we'll take my nice, practical car," She said, grinning proudly.

Jake apprehensively agreed. He couldn't deny it or complain either. He was going to be in close quarters with Santiago, for who knows how long tonight! Well, maybe he would complain a little; teasing her is too entertaining to pass up…

…

"I can't believe I agreed to go in your soccer mom of a car," Jake criticized, shaking his head. They just arrived at the location and found a spot to park where they wouldn't be seen. "Hey Mom, got any juice packs!" He joked, nudging Amy with his elbow.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance and tried to control her features from breaking into a smile. Jake noticed this, which made his face light up with satisfactory and enjoyment.

"I'm guessing you brought some in your stake out bag, didn't you?" She said, coyly eyeing the bag set between the two of them.

"You know me so well…" Jake said in awe, as he pulled out two juice pouches. "Wild berry or Lemon?" he questioned, trying to pull off a suave look. However, he still maintained his naturally goofy composure.

It was one of Peralta's qualities that captivated her—"_Whoa Amy, get a grip_!" she thought to herself.

"Lemon," She answered. She held out her hands as he smirked and gave it to her.

Their hands touched for a brief moment, she swore she could feel butterflies in her stomach. Jake played it off casually, but was panicking inside his head.

"_She's just your partner, a good friend. We can't screw that up, I almost did already_…" Jake thought, scolding himself internally for the jump he felt in his stomach while looking at her. Oh, who was he kidding… he couldn't stop it if he tried.

After a few moments, they moved on. They shared laughs and playful bickered while drinking their juice pouches. Jake wouldn't let her put in her stakeout song mix she made, so he found one of his favorite stations and made sure to put it at a quiet volume. Amy laughed at how he was ridiculously singing along, especially to the Taylor Swifts songs he claimed he didn't like. Amy nevertheless found herself joining in with him, despite her first anger at his refusal to her picked out music. They particularly were in sink when they sang softly, "Can't fight this feeling" by REO Speedwagon as a duet. Unfortunately, it led to some uncomfortableness when they realized the irony of the lyrics they were singing…

Later into the night, they got into swapping random stories to keep themselves occupied.

"So that's how my brothers scared off my prom date when he tried to get me up to a hotel room," She explained, laughing. When she thought about her super protective brothers when she was young, it made her realize how much they're still like that today. "I mean, they mean well most of the time. On the other hand, I could do without them doing background checks on all my boyfriends."

"We'll your lucky I'm an only child. After my dad left…it was just my mom and I. As much of a lady-killer I was—, '' Amy scoffed. "I was, ok! As I was saying, my mom was quite protective too. Girls were freaked out by her clinginess, using a megaphone at my soccer games didn't help."

She was still snickering at him while watching out for the meet up. "We'll your brothers are right about checking up on your dates, they're such losers!" Jake exclaimed.

Amy stopped her laughing and angrily threw her empty juice pouch at him. He then reciprocated and squirted what was left of his drink on Amy.

"Agh you jerk!" she said, smiling.

Their laughter suddenly stifled when they heard a commotion coming from outside the vehicle. They noticed at the deal spot, there were two cars arriving. Jake and Amy nodded to each other and slowly got out the car. They started to move towards them out of sight as the people got out of the car.

They both busted forth from behind the street wall when they made it over and shouted, "NYPD, hands in the air!"

The two men raised their hands to their heads. Amy and Jake walked over slowly, both cuffing one of the men while stating them their rights. Jake called back up to come and take them away while walking back over to Amy's car. At that moment, the man Amy had cuffed swung his elbow back, hitting her in the head hard.

"Amy!" Jake shouted with fear.

Amy stumbled back onto the ground dizzy. She then got up and was trying to get up to grip of the man again. Jake quickly ran and cuffed his man to the car and ran back over to Amy. The dealer had Amy in a grip, trying to get away, when Jake pointed his gun at him. He was shielding himself with Amy who was still a bit out of it, trying to struggle out of his arms. Jake felt his heart drop at the sight of it.

Amy's right arm however was free from his grasp. She swung it back into his gut, causing him to stumble backwards releasing her. Still feeling a bit woozy, she grabbed her gun and pointed it at him again, now face to face. He stopped in his tracks at first, but proceeded to take a step forward. Jake snuck up from behind him and hit him over the head with his gun, knocking him out.

"Santiago are you ok?" he said, turning to her.

He gave her a worried look as she squinted at him through her hazy vision. She then looked down at her feet, where the unconscious felon who assaulted her rested.

"I'm fine, that guy just knocked the wind out of me for a few seconds there, sorry…"

"No don't be! You were…amazing." Jake said, still in shock. He touched her arm for a moment, which made her eyes snap up at him. "You sure knocked the wind out of him though; he should know, no one messes with Amy Santiago!" he said, with a weary smile. She breathed out a chuckle in response.

Back up showed up soon after that, taking the two men into custody. Terry came for back up saw how tired they were and said he would wrap it up from there. They thanked him and headed back to Amy's car as the police cars with the dealers headed off.

As soon as they got to the car, Amy reached for the door handle and she started to loose balance. She started to fall forwards as Jake quickly lunged forward to catch her in his arms.

"Whoa Amy, are you alright?"

Her head was against his chest and her hands gripping the collar of his jacket for support. Amy started to lift her head up, still gripping Jake to keep herself steady. She met his gaze and gave an exasperated smile.

"I'm alright, just a little dizzy… have you always had three eyes?" she asked grimly, trying to get her eyes to focus but failing. It was hard to concentrate anyhow because she could feel his heart pumping against hers, which was making her even woozier.

"No I don't'; but I'm guessing it's an awesome new feature I have, thanks to your dizziness. You shouldn't be one to talk by the way four eyes!" He teased, smiling gently.

Amy grinned and nudged him slightly, which made him laugh. They contently looked at each other until Amy looked down embarrassed, and steadied herself back up. But Jake's arms still remained around her waist.

His breath hitched as he glanced down at Amy's lips, which were not too far away from his currently. Jake started to lean closer and Amy's eyes just fluttered closed for second before they were interrupted by a loud crashing of a glass vase that fell from someone's apartment, landing next to them.

They both jolted apart from each other as they looked above them toward the area the vase had fallen. They saw a women running out of the building to meet where they were standing.

"I am terribly sorry; I'm just a big klutz! Are you both alright?" She shouted.

"We're fine, no apology necessary!" Jake said. He leaned down and gathered the flowers that were in the vase and held them out to the women. "You might want these though, they're still perfectly fine."

"Oh no you keep them! I feel like I interrupted something… you can give them to your lovely girlfriend here!" She said smiling, as they stood there shaking their heads.

They didn't have a chance to reply before she hastily turned around and ran back inside.

They both looked back at each other, laughing awkwardly. Jake scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, and then opened the car door for her.

"Uhh we should be heading back, I'll drive you to your apartment instead. I'll just take a taxi home."

"Yeah, that would probably be best. Don't want me fainting on the wheel while driving!" Amy agreed, smiling nervously.

"True, you're a bad enough driver as it is." Jake said with a sly smirk.

She shook her head at him and proceeded to get in the car, which only made him smirk more. Amy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as he walked around to the other side of the car.

They drove in silence for a while until Jake put in the music mix Amy brought that he before had refused to listen to. She began to smile brightly and opened her mouth to comment but Jake cut her off.

"Not a word Santiago, you're lucky I'm feeling nice." He warned her, and she just put her hands up in surrender.

Amy stayed silent, biting back a smile while they drove back to her apartment.

…

When they got to her apartment building, he walked her up to the door, making sure she didn't lose gravity walking up the steps.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Jake said, when they reached her door. He then began to turn around.

"Wait, Jake!" Amy grabbed his arm, bringing him to a stop. He raised his brow waiting for her to continue. "I—I just wanted to say…nice work on the bust tonight. I'm glad you're back at the Nine-Nine. And…" She then leaned in, pressing a kiss on his cheek, holding it there for a few seconds. He was shocked, but he closed his eyes briefly before she pulled away. "Also thanks for catching me; surprisingly, I would rather be in your arms then landing on the pavement."

Amy then swiftly turned around and got in to her apartment, shutting the door behind her. Jake stood frozen for a moment, and then broke out into a goofy smile.

"Maybe romantic stylez wasn't such a crazy idea after all…" Jake spoke quietly to himself.

He raised a fist into the air as he giddily walked down the steps. He proceeded to call a taxi and couldn't help himself from smiling the whole way home.


	4. Chapter 4

Authors note: Hello all Jamy shippers, or Peraltiago if you prefer (I like both myself)! This chapter will end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but the next chapter will be set during the same night where this one leaves off. I do not own Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or the characters. Although, I did make up the man named Mason, and a store manager in this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 4

It finally was Friday, Jake only had to make one more day until the weekend. The minutes ticked by slowly, he looked up at the clock every chance he got. He needed a case to keep him occupied, he couldn't stand not having something to solve! Thankfully, Holt called Jake into his office halfway through the day. He assigned him to a new case, to investigate the vandalisms and break-ins that have been occurring at Kings Plaza shopping center.

"Alright I'm on it Captain, Peralta will get to the bottom of this! I'll just ask Santiago to come with me to see if she—." Jake starts to say, but Holt interrupts.

"Actually this case you'll be working with Boyle, Santiago's taking the night off." Holt informs.

Jake looks surprised, and leans against the doorframe. "Really she has plans, what else does she have to do? This case calls for a lot of paperwork; it has her name written all over it!" He exclaimed, feeling disappointed she wouldn't accompany him tonight.

When he did cases with Amy, work was never as dull. Although Boyle was his best friend, he liked spending time with Amy. After the intimate moments they've been having, especially after the stake out, he found it even harder to try to keep his feelings platonic. He wanted more than that; he was starting to think that Amy did too.

"Everybody needs there nights off, Peralta. You're dismissed." Holt gestured to the door, obviously wanting to be done with the conversation.

Jake sighed and walked out the door and shut it behind him. He searched the room for Amy and found her sitting down at her desk. He walked over to her, trying to look as suave as possible.

Amy noticed him standing next to her and laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Ah Jake, what's up? Did you want to borrow my stake out CD, because I couldn't help but notice the other night you beating your head to it, even though you claimed you despise my "old people music."?" Amy joked.

Jake rolled his eyes, but a smile appeared at his lips. "I think you were confused, I was shaking my head at you and you not knowing what real music is!" Jake countered; Amy was about to stick up for her classical music before Jake cut her off again, "Anyway I did not come over to criticize your music choice. I was wondering what you're up to tonight, I heard your taking the night off?" Jake inquired, trying to sound indifferent about the desire of her presence.

Amy took in a breath and looked away from him for a second, which made Jake feel a bit concerned. "Well…I actually have a date tonight." Amy admitted. Grimacing at Jakes hurt demeanor.

After the moments they've been having, Amy hasn't been able to get her mind off of Jake. The way he smiled at her, his ability to piece together cases, or how she felt lighter when he was around. She kept telling herself it was just a phase, a crush that would go away. She figured going on a date was the answer, to put her confusion about him and her feelings to rest.

Jake pursed his lips, crossing his arms. "Wow really, that's just…awesome." He tried to hold in his jealousy, but he couldn't help himself from asking, "What's up with the secrecy, I mean you've told me about your dates before… knowing your past dates, he's probably an ex con, or a man who lives with his mother."

Amy looks curiously at Jake now, and shakes her head in response.

"Oh really, well that's good for you, I guess. It's not Teddy is it?" Jake inquires, but his voice sounding more pained than before.

"No," Amy says, laughing slightly. "It's over between us. My date is actually an artist I met at a museum a couple weeks back that I never called." Amy stated.

Jake nodded his head, walked over to his desk, and sat down.

"Maybe you should've trusted your first instinct…" Jake muttered.

"What was that?" Amy asked with an amused manner.

"Oh! I uh said… maybe if you get bored on your date you can come help me and Boyle on our case tonight."

Amy stared blankly at him for a second; she saw something in his eyes she couldn't place.

"I'll uh, keep that in mind." Amy said awkwardly.

"We'll I'm goanna go brief Boyle on the case, I'll uh…I'll see you later." He said, putting on an overwrought smile, standing up, and walked away.

Amy sighed and put her face into her hands. "It's all going to be ok, I'll go on this date and everything will go back to normal." Amy tried to tell herself. However, as she looked back up at Jake in deep discussion with Charles, she felt a pang in her chest and she knew she was fooling herself.

…

Later that night Jake and Boyle were investigating, looking into the different stores that had been victimized.

"Thank you for telling us all you know, it was very helpful. We should get this case solved in no time. Do you mind if I use one of your computers real quick?" Jake asks the store manager.

"Oh yes, of course! Be my guest." He replied, gesturing to one behind his desk. As he walked out, Jake rapidly sat down at his desk and started searching his computer.

"Uh Jake, what are you doing?" Boyle looks at him curiously, breaking his concentration. "This case is practically solved; all we need to do is find out if the vandalisms were actually done by the guys that got fired from all the stores. Then—wait are you on Facebook?" Boyle asked incredulously.

"Yes Charles, if you must know I'm doing some investigating on who Santiago's date is that she's with this very minute." Boyle rolled his eyes but Jake ignored him. "Aha! I found him! His name is Mason Stevens and his interests include—"Jake started to describe, but Boyle shut off the computer. "Hey! What was that for, it was only goanna take me a minute? He seems like a pretty boring person who only watches the history channel! I mean, how ridiculous is that!"

"Jake, you're the one that's being ridiculous! Amy can go out with whoever she wants, I mean it's not like anybody else is making a move…" Boyle says, raising his eyebrows at him.

"Oh I see what you're saying; you think I'm a chicken for not asking Santiago out!" Jake exclaims, pointing his finger at him. However, Boyle coolly shrugs, smiling slightly. "Well you know what? I could say the same for you about Rosa; I don't see you asking her out!" Jake accuses.

"I have asked her out more times than I remember, when have you asked Amy out on a real date?" Jake opened his mouth to respond, but closed it. "That's what I thought. Come on Jake, let's go get some dinner or something, it'll get your mind off it. Believe me; I understand what you're going through."

Jake apprehensively nods his head, standing up. They made their way out the door, discussing where to eat.

…

"Jake I have to say this is a great pick; this place has the best crab puffs in this part of the city!" Boyle says, excited as they sat at a booth in the corner. Then he looked in front of him, and he spotted that in the distance, there was Amy and her date. He sighed and gave Jake a look. "We didn't come here for the crab puffs did we."

"Well it's a nice plus…" Jake said, peering behind his menu. "Hey how much do you think I have to pay the waiter to spill a drink in his lap?"

Boyle ignores this and pushes his menu down that was hiding his face. "Don't you want her to be happy?"

"Of course I do, it's just…" _With me_, he almost says, but thinks better of it. "Not with that guy! Who's actually an artist for a living?"

"Leonardo Da Vinci, Picasso, the people that draw for cartoons—." Boyle lists, but Jake interjects.

"First of all, most of those guys are dead. Secondly, artists are crazy! Didn't Da Vinci cut off his hand and send it to his ex? Imagine what he'll do to Santiago!" Jake proclaimed.

"_First of all_, that was Vincent Van Gogh. _Second of all_, it was an ear. And thirdly," he says gesturing to Mason. "That guy looks like he chiseled his own jaw!"

Jake makes a disgusted face. "Eww no—wait so you do admit he does cut body parts!" Jake reproached. Boyle just shook his head at him as Jake stood up. "I'm going to go talk to this guy, seems like there's something fishy going on with him."

Before Boyle can object, Jake hastily makes his way over to their table. Amy's eyes widen as she notices Jake pulling up a seat to their table.

"Hey Amy, how crazy is it that we would choose the same restaurant? You must be Mason; I heard that you're quite fond of the history channel." Jake says, with a smile plastered on his face. This makes Mason look confused and raises a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Jake what are you doing here? I thought you were on a case—." Amy asks dumbfounded.

"We'll I was, but we decided to stop by this lovely establishment and try the crab puffs. They are delicious if I say so myself. Say Mason, have you tried them?"

"Actually no, I'm allergic. I'm sorry, are you guys a-thing?" Mason questioned looking between the two.

They both don't know how to answer that question. They gaped at each other, hoping the other would give an answer.

Amy begins to blush and speak up, "Well no, he's...just my partner."

Jake purses his lips and nods, because it's the truth. He couldn't say otherwise. He pushed out laugh to cover up his confliction. "No, were not a-thing. That would be crazy! We drive each other nuts as you can tell," Jake says quickly. He smiles, but it doesn't seem to reach his eyes. "I'm sorry for interrupting Santiago, see you at work!"

Jake slowly arises out of his seat, and walks back to his table without another word.

"How did it go Jake?" Boyle asked. Worried at the saddened look on his face, he tried covering it with a grin.

"Oh, fine. I'm still not sure about Mason though, I mean, he's allergic to crab puffs. Have you ever heard of such a thing?" Jake says, grabbing a crab puff from the plate in front of Boyle.

"Jake, I know it's hard. But you and Amy will get there; I can tell that she likes you too." Charles put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. Jake considers his words, but decides they're too good to be true.

"Maybe I was wrong… she thinks of me as just a partner, and maybe I am. I do drive her nuts—."

"Really Jake? If that were the case, then why would this be bothering you so much? And why would you guys have been making googley eyes at each other, when she's on a date with somebody else?" Jake still looked down at his plate and stayed silent. "Driving each other nuts is a thing that a lot of great couples have. Like Ross and Rachel!" He pointed out, which made Jake smile and roll his eyes.

Jake turned his gaze back to Santiago, who Mason seemed to be in deep conversation with. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. First, she gave him a questioning look, but then smiled softly. Jake smirked when she looked flustered and turned her focus back to Mason.

Jake also turned back to Boyle, who gave him a knowing look. He sighed and got up, motioning to the door.

"We should probably go and finish this case. Although…Mason does seem like a good suspect, I mean he's an artist, he could do grafftii too!" Jake joked, sounding brighter than before. Charles shook his head laughing, and paid the check.

Jake looked back over at Amy again, who was nodding along to whatever Mr. Chiseled jaw was saying. "How long did it take Ross and Rachel to get together again?" Jake asked gloomily.

"Well, they got together in season two I think, but they broke up. To get back together, it took them till the tenth season." Boyle answered.

"Damn…" Jake said, disheartened as they left. He did not want to wait that long…

Amy looked at the door shutting in the restaurant and found Jake and Boyle to be gone from their table. She frowned as she saw they're car pull away outside the window. She couldn't believe it, but she found herself disappointed. He maturely left them alone, leaving her mind to keep drifting back to him. The hurt look on Jake's face when she told Mason that they were just partners made her grimace. She didn't know what to say, but she did know that what she said wasn't entirely true. She felt more than that about him, more than she could process.

Usually Jake pulls some crazy stunt to get her out of a date, but not this time. When Jake had messed up her dates, it made her irritated. But at the same time, it made her relieved. After whatever date she had got scared away, most of the time he drove her home and they laughed at how bad the date had been. It made her have more fun that the date she had those nights, she had more fun with him than almost anyone…

Mason was a nice guy, but she couldn't lead him on like this. Not when she had feelings for someone else, it wasn't fair to him. "Mason, this has been great. But I—."

"It's your partner, isn't it?" he says, with a telling expression.

"No—yes, I don't know! He's not even here and he's driving me crazy! He's childlike, annoying, and idiotic." Amy explains, starting to smile. "He's also sweet, funny, and an amazing detective-."

"And you're crazy about him," he says, finishing her sentence. Amy jerked her face up, as if his words had struck her.

"I'm really sorry Mason. I was trying to ignore my feelings, you know? But when he showed up here, it made it all the more confusing! Or maybe more clear…" Amy said, starting to stand up. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll pay for the dinner. If there's ever an art thief that steals something of yours, I'll be the first on the case!" Mason nodded as she ran quickly out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Authors note: Thank you again to those who have followed and kindly reviewed! This story is almost finished; I hope you enjoy this chapter. I do not own Brooklyn Nine-Nine or the characters, but I sure like creating stories about them! :)

Chapter 5

After Jake and Boyle left the restaurant, they ended up solving the case. They arrested the ex-employees that they suspected. As always, revenge is a strong motivator. It was late at night at the precinct so it was mostly empty, except for a few stragglers'. Jake was finishing paperwork when he felt Boyle tap him on the shoulder.

"Jake, Holt called to tell us we're relieved for the night. We can finish this tomorrow," Boyle informed him.

"That's ok; I'm goanna stay here and wrap it up. I owe you one for tonight anyway, also it will help me get my mind off of…," trying to place his words, quickly glancing at Amy's desk. "Things."

Boyle grinned, and nodded. Jake heard the door shut from Boyle leaving, he proceeded to sigh and go back to his work. However, it only took a few seconds for his concentration to be interrupted by the sound of the door quickly opening and slammed closed. He glanced up and gaped at the sight of Amy rushing through the precinct. He stood up, surprised at her sudden appearance. He walked over to her, meeting her halfway, she was still panting.

"Santiago, what are you doing here, did something go wrong with Mason? Did he cut off his ear because of that artist thing?!" he asked, sounding serious.

"An ear…? No, it wasn't anything like that, it's just...he's not who I wanted to be with." Amy said, catching he breath. However, it was done in vain because she lost it again. Seeing his shocked and hopeful expression made her heart skip a beat. Her face reddened and she cleared her throat. "I wanted to be with you…," Amy, confessed quietly.

His smile began to brighten, and he started moving closer, towards where she stood. It felt tenser, like seconds were ticking by timelessly. Amy was keeping a constant gaze at his lips, or the floor. He assumed she wouldn't be blushing at the ground, so it must have been because of him.

Amy cleared her throat, nervous. "I—I mean, because you made that paperwork sound so tempting this morning!" Amy said quickly, trying to recover herself from mortification. "The whole night I couldn't get my mind off of… this interesting case. Have you rapped it up yet?" Amy stepped away from him then, almost tripping over her own feet, which put a smirk on Jakes face.

"Common, Jake closes every case!" he exclaimed. This made Amy feel more at ease and laughed at his remark. "However the best part, for you at least, still needs to be done!" He picked up the paperwork and put it into her hands. "It could use some good old fashioned Santiago style." He said with a wink, leaning closer.

"Whoa, it's like Christmas!" She joked. This made Jake laugh and he quirked his eyebrow.

"We'll, sha'll we get started Amy?" he said holding out his hand, bowing slightly.

Amy chuckled at this and took his arm. "You bet Peralta."

They walked to each other's desks and departed from one another. He definitely did not intend to go a little slower to spend more time with her, not one bit… just like Amy assured they would get more done if she pulled her chair up next to him to work at his desk, for no other reason at all…

After they were finally finished, they hesitantly stood up and started walking out the door. Nudging each other as they walked side by side, they reached his car that was parked outside. He stopped, standing in place, turning to Amy.

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry if I ruined your date. I wanted you to be happy, I didn't mean to try and screw it up. It's just hard for me to… not to," Jake admitted. He gave himself a mental face palm because that probably sounded ridiculous.

"No don't be, I actually had fun tonight," Amy said yawning. She looked at her watch and noticed just then how late it was. He smiled and stepped closer to her, pushing a piece of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear and held it there. Amy's eyes widened at the intimate gesture and Jake quickly pulled his hand away stunned that he had done it without even thinking. Somehow this made Amy panic again, and she forced herself to take a step away from him and signaled for a taxi. "I—have to go. I should get some sleep before work tomorrow."

He nodded. He opened his mouth to say something but she jumped quickly into the taxi before he could get in another word. Jake was left standing there, shocked once again. Had he scared her?

He considered for a moment that maybe he should just back off, he didn't want to ruin the friendship that they had. However as he watched her taxi drive away, he smiled, knowing it was worth the risk. Jake knew that Amy would always be more than "just" anything. At least, he hoped.

…

Amy couldn't sleep that night. She was so close to Jake, she almost kissed Peralta! There was no denying her feelings now, the revelation she had yesterday was too much to handle. She was tossing and turning in her bed with a head full of questions. "_Now that I know I have feelings for him, what are we supposed to do now? How are we going to balance a relationship and still be coworkers? What if we got together and broke up? What if Holt won't approve? What if he's moved on since his confession, and doesn't feel that way about me anymore? What if we would never be able to be friends again_?!" Amy thought to herself.

Jake is one of the best guys she's ever known, she couldn't lose a friend like him; the thought of that scared he most. Was a relationship worth the risk? Amy sighed and concluded that she going to ask for a partner transfer. She had to distance herself from him, at least for a little while.

As her alarm went off, making her grimace. She had to get there early if she wanted to talk to Holt before Jake got there. Amy knew she couldn't go through with it if she saw his face.

After getting ready and driving to the station, she arrived. Stepping out of the car, she had to wipe away a tear that had fallen on her cheek. "If I'm doing the right thing, it sure sucks," she whispered to herself.

Only a few people were in the precinct when she walked into the building. She headed straight into Holt's office, trying to hold herself together as she began to speak up, "Captain, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"If this is about what kind of dish soap I use or what microwave I own; I told you I don't care to discuss—."

"No, it's nothing like that." Amy interrupts. Holt nods, waiting for her to continue. "I wanted to talk to you about a work relationship that's become…complicated."

"What's going on? Did Gina convince you to join the office dance group she's trying to start? I know she is relentless about it, but it's a terrible idea. I know I can dance, but I know that talent isn't shared throughout the workplace," he says, gesturing to Amy. She was one of the worst dancers in the office. Amy defiantly agreed, thinking back to when they were undercover in the dancing competition.

"_I wasn't so bad when I had Jakes help,"_ she thought to herself. She tried to push those thoughts out of her head and shook her head. "It's not about that; it's about my relationship with Peralta."

"I know Peralta's methods are sometimes unorthodox, but you two work quite well together. So if there's confliction between you both, you should talk it out."

"Sir, I'm not upset with him. It's just I—I am not sure if professionally, we can continue to work together so often. I'm afraid that we're going to ruin the work dynamic if feelings progress," Amy states. Reciting the speech, she practiced repeatedly in her head on the drive to the precinct.

"We'll Santiago, I appreciate your professionalism. If it's a problem, I can consider putting the two of you on separate cases for a while. However, your job requires working with others in the workplace, despite the differences ones may have."

Amy nodded and tried giving a thankful nod. Holt looked at her with suspicion. He knew Amy was holding something back. He assumed her wanting to be professional wasn't the only problem, given her distraught state.

"Santiago, there's something you're not telling me. I don't want you to make a decision you're going to regret." Amy looked stunned, she wasn't expecting that. Holt continued, "I've learned it's not always best to push away your feelings. You don't want to miss out on something great because you're afraid."

Amy opened her mouth, but she couldn't seem to think of anything to say. She was flustered; she didn't practice what she would say in this situation. What he said was the truth. She knew he was right. The question is, is she brave enough to take his advice?

Amy felt torn between her head and her heart. However, she was shook out of her thoughts when she heard on knock on the office window behind her. Jake stood holding up two cups of coffee and was grinning ear to ear. Amy beamed at him and turned back to Holt, who was waiting for a response. "On second thought Captain, I think I can work things out. I don't want to miss out on a great…work partnership."

Holt nodded and smiled slightly as he went back to his work at his desk, as if nothing had happened. Amy walked out of the office feeling as if she had gotten newfound confidence. Jake met her by her desk, handing her coffee and sat down.

Looking at him now, it seemed as if there was a spotlight on just him that made him seem brighter than anyone else in the room. Amy told herself this morning that she wouldn't be able to go through with her plans if she saw his face; and it turns out she was right, she couldn't. Amy decided she was very happy with that fact.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Jake inquired. However, he smiled at her as if he knew the answer

"What makes you say that?" Amy chuckled.

"You can't stop smiling. Was Holt finally telling you about his microwave? I know that would make your day, even your life." Amy rolled his eyes at him. Nevertheless, that didn't stop him from proceeding to question her. "Is that what you two were talking about in his office this morning?" She then realized that she was grinning just as much as he was. He must have been rubbing off on her. Amy didn't want to tell the truth; how embarrassing would that be! But she didn't want to lie either, she settled on being allusive.

"Unfortunately, no, I guess I'm just content about where things seem to be heading recently." Amy said cheerfully.

Jake held her eyes for a few moments, as if he was trying to decipher Amy's current thoughts. Amy put on her best poker face, but Jake saw right through it. A guiltless smirk arose on his face.

"Me too," He responded.

Only a few seconds passed by before Amy spoke up, "That's surprising, seeing as how I already have three more arrests than you this month…" Amy said.

A mischievous expression took over her as she looked up at Jake, who had an amazed look on his face. He seemed stunned at her boldness, but thrilled at it at the same time.

"Not for long Santiago," he said, with a wink.


	6. Chapter 6

Authors note: We've finally come to the last chapter! Thank you to all that have read, followed, favorited, and reviewed for the support! I've written fanfics before, but this is the first one I was brave enough to publish. Now that I have taken this step, I look forward to sharing fan fiction that I have written for multiple shows in the future; I have many couples that I love to ship! Again, I do not own Brooklyn Nine-Nine or its characters, but I did make up the _Delectable Delights _candy store I used in this chapter. I hope you enjoy the end of this story, Peraltiago/Jamy forever! :)

Chapter 6

Jake Peralta was busier than usual; but I guess it was a good thing if he wanted to beat Amy's arrests by the end of this month. Whoever wins gets to choose which cop show marathon they would have to watch together. He needed to win; he would not sit through hours and hours of NCIS. He's almost positive that she's just messing with him, but he wasn't going to take that chance.

On another note; Jake wasn't sure when or how, but he was going to ask Amy out on a date. Yes, a real date. He wanted to take the risk. He was nearly certain from the way she had been acting lately, that she wanted to take the risk too. Something in her eyes told him she was falling for him, and all he had to do was accumulate the courage to catch her. Perhaps that proclamation sounded as mad as a hatter might, but love was supposed to be crazy, right?

However, Amy was with Rosa for the day working on a drug bust. At least he had time to think out a plan with her out of the precinct.

"Psssst, Jake!" Gina whispered, not too quietly across the room.

Jake walked over to her desk, giving her a curious look. "What is it Gina, is this about the boy band you want to put together? I told you, I'm not a soprano!"

"Everyone shot down my dance group idea, but I see real hope in this one! You'll come around when I convince my man Timberlake to join," Gina said, winking. He was about to object but Gina cut him off, "Anyway that's not why I called you over here. I wanted to see how you were holding up, it must be hard."

"What are you talking about?" Jake asked, fully confused.

"Don't hide your pain, my poor Jake! I overheard this morning that Amy didn't want to be your partner anymore." Jake gawked at her. "Oh you hadn't heard? I'm so sorry to break the news to! She doesn't want to partner up with you on cases anymore…I only heard a bit of their conversation, but I assume that was the gist of it."

Is that why she was happy with how things were going, because she wouldn't have to work with him on cases anymore? No, it can't be. It didn't make any sense! They worked great when they did cases together, why would she request to Holt such a thing?

"Gina, did you happen to hear why?" Jake asked, sounding abrasive.

"I'm sorry Jakey, I didn't. But if you need help on a case, I think I would make a great replacement! My intention to detail is incredible and I have seen every episode of Monk," she said confidently.

"I'll keep that in mind." Jake put his hand to his forehead, he felt like his mind was going to implode. A million thoughts were jumbled up in his head that he couldn't make any sense of. He didn't know what to make of all of this or what to say, all he knew was that he needed to talk to Amy, "I have to go, tell Holt I'm going to be out for the day. Say I have a long lost twin who needs a kidney or something…"

He hastily grabbed is jacket and ran out the door, not giving Gina a chance to respond. Amy was probably still out on a case with Rosa; he had some time to clear his head before he talked to her.

"_Maybe I could go to the candy store, or a walk in the park?" _he thought to himself. He laughed at that, knowing the clear answer, "_Obviously the candy store." _

He then turned right towards the direction of the store. Trying to forget the heartbreak that troubled his mind, he imagined a variety of delicious chocolate and flavored candy that he would soon be surrounded by instead.

…..

Spending a few hours browsing the candy store, (trying many samples), he left the store still confused and troubled. He walked back to the precinct, lollypop in one hand and a bag full of candy in the other.

A few minutes later, he spotted Amy outside the building. All the pain that was delayed by the distraction of the sweetness of his candy came rushing back to him instantly when he saw her. All his questions for her were flooding back into his thoughts.

"Santiago!" he yelled, jogging up to her.

She turned and walked towards him with a beaming smile, happy to see him. This made Jake even more frustrated. He figured Amy was trying to hide that she requested a partner transfer, and he didn't like it.

"I need to talk to you," he said edgily.

"Yes of course, what's up?" she asked worriedly. She glanced at the lollypop in his hand and chuckled. "Jake, did you go to _Delectable Delights _candy store again? I've seen you high on a sugar rush this late at night before, it may be amusing, but it ends with you crashing and falling asleep in a random place and one of us having to—."

"Is it true that you don't want to work with me anymore?" Jake interrupted, a little bleakly.

Amy's face dropped. How was she supposed to explain this to him? "Jake, I did. But it's not what you think, I was wrong—." She tried to clarify but Jake cut her off once more, not so much with anger, but with fear.

"Why would you do that Santiago? Why would you even consider it! I thought we were doing well together…better than well actually," He said a bit softer. "What did I do that made you not even able to stand working with me anymore? I just—I don't understand," he whispered weakly.

Amy looked at him with tears brimming in her eyes. "You didn't do anything! I'm sorry Jake, this is just a huge misunderstanding…I was scared and I was wrong. I didn't go through with it; I still want to work with you!"

"You do?" he asked incredulously, with a smile.

"Yes, I do! It was all just a stupid mistake. I love being with you!" she blurted out.

Jake's eyebrow shot up, with a quirky smile. Amy's eyes enlarged, realizing what she just said.

"I mean, working with you—that's all I meant." She nervously laughed.

"Is that really all you meant?" he asked, still smiling.

She glanced at her feet, annoyed at Jake's perceptiveness of her. "No, it's not."

She spoke it quietly, but it seemed as if the words stayed suspended in the air as she spoke them. Amy felt the crisp cool air blowing against her face that tamed the heat that had rushed to her cheeks. Jake cautiously took a few steps forward. She eyed him intriguingly as he slowly pulled out a 100 grand bar out of his bag, holding it out to her. Of course, he knew her favorite candy!

She pretended to be irritated, and gave him an annoyed stare. "Peralta, don't you know you shouldn't be eating candy this late at night? And I need to make sure my teeth are perfect the next time I go to the dentist because of the _last incidence_."

"If I recall that correctly, you ended up getting cavities because you took _too much_ care of your teeth. Now come on Amy, take it! I know you want it," he said in a taunting voice.

She broke her aggravated facade and smiled, taking the candy out of his hand. As she un-wrapped the candy and took a bite, Jake finished his lollypop and threw the stick in garbage nearby. He got out a box of gobstoppers and threw some into his mouth.

They looked at each other for a few moments; he was trying to read her again. This whole thing today made him feel that his mind was a tilt a whirl, spinning endlessly. Jake needed to have legitimate confirmation, to prove to himself that he wasn't crazy for believing that she felt the same way. Therefore, he had to stop hinting at how he felt, and go all in.

"What were you scared of?" Jake asked.

"What?"

Jake heaved out a sigh, not knowing if he should even bring it up. Nevertheless, he needed to know. His mind would never rest about it, constantly wondering.

"Before, you said you were scared. What about continuing to work with me scared you?"

Amy gulped. Her eyes got bigger in recognition, knowing what he was getting at. She didn't know what to say or how to say it. She hoped that she would be able to consummate a sentence, because her tongue felt as heavy as a ton of bricks, and her stomach was doing backflips.

"Uhhhh…," Amy stammered. _"Well, at least I was able to get out a sound," _she thought, mocking herself.

"Santiago, what are you not telling me?" Jake prodded.

"I kind of really like being with you, more than I originally intended myself to." Amy's eyes nervously flickering to his. He wavered his feet in place, an inkling of a smile composing on his face. Amy anxiously stuck her hands in her pockets. Trying to open her heart to him about her fears was unnerving in itself. "I—I like you a lot actually, and when you confessed you had feelings for me months ago, that scared me too."

Jake frowned and scrunched his eyebrows together. The moment from months ago drifted back to him, he remembered it vividly. They both thought not speaking about it was the answer for things to get back to normal. Now that it was spoken of, there was no taking it back. You can't avoid things forever after all, no matter how much you think you want to move on. His heart wrenched in his chest.

"Amy, I am so sorry about that. I just was afraid of what would happen…if I didn't come back. I wanted to tell you how I felt before it was too late."

His voice sounded pained. Amy shook her head, eyes bursting with emotion. He stepped closer to her, begging her to forgive him.

"You have no idea how bad I felt doing it, I hated making you uncomfortable! I had no right to say it when you were still with—."

"Jake that's not what I meant! It's ok that you did what you did, I understand that now. I appreciate that you told me the truth," Amy interrupted urgently. Jake looked relieved, but confused. She ventured on, "The reason that I was scared then…was because I was afraid how it would affect are work relationship, and our friendship. But then, Teddy and I drifted apart. It left me confused about everything, uncertain of why it all happened the way it did. Little did I know then…that it was because I had feelings for you too."

Jake gave a bewildered look, not believing what he was hearing. Amy laughed in spite of herself and the bafflement on his face. Her words seemed to instantaneously revive his sanity, it made him happier than he could express. However, there was still more of her story missing, he couldn't help wanting to know.

"What about now, what scared you now?"

Amy blew out a breath, biting her lip nervously. "Well when you came back, I was still confused; seeing you and being around you again made me realize the depth of how much I care about you. Recognizing that frightened me because I was afraid of what could happen if I put my feelings out there. That's why I asked Holt for a partner transfer. I knew if I continued to work with you, I'd completely…fall for you. But when I saw you outside the office, grinning like the dork you are, I knew it was worth the risk," Amy finally said, feeling as a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Amy Santiago, you don't know how incredible that is to hear," He said in astonishment.

Amy smiled shyly. Jake still mystified at Amy's return of feelings, felt courage come over him. He swiftly grabbed the _100 Grand _chocolate bar that was still in Amy's hand and placed it in his candy bag that he proceeded to drop to the ground.

Amy raised her brow at him and confused at his actions. Taken aback by intenseness that was now in his eyes. He moved forward getting closer and closer to her, his heart pumping harder with each step. She looked beautiful with her face under the dim streetlights, she captivated him, and she probably always would. This helped him verge closer to her, deciding that he needed to kiss her right this second.

"I think it's time to take a risk Santiago. I'm going to take one right now…" Jake murmured.

"Okay, that sounds good," Amy replied under her breath, nodding slightly.

The city life around them seemed to drift away and go hazy in their view, their focus turned completely on the presence of each other and the weight of the moment pulling at their heartstrings.

Jake's face was now inches away from hers, their noses barely touching. His face filled with a mix of sincerity and adoration. He carefully placed his right hand on her face. Brushing his fingers against her cheek, Amy leaned her face into his palm. Her breath hitched as she closed her eyes and Jake used the tip of his finger to push her chin up to meet his gaze. As she opened them, she saw his stupid, loveable, handsome face smirking at her.

"What is it?" Amy inquired, laughing softly.

Jake chuckled, his lips just about skimming hers. "I just remembered that on our bet date, I warned you not to fall in love with me. Looks like you couldn't resist my charms," he said with bravado.

Amy huffed out a breath in disbelief. But Jake being Jake, brought a smile to her face nevertheless. His kindness and ego made him who he was, and she liked him even more because of it.

"Why did I fall for such a—." She tried to retort, but Jake cut her off, touching his lips to hers.

Amy quickly responded, her lips moving tenderly in a rhythm with his. Filled with joy Jake pulled her closer, and Amy moved her hands where they were placed on his arms, to around his neck. They kissed almost desperately as if they were afraid the other one was going to slip away. It was heartfelt but passionate at the same time. Both of them filled with perfect contentedness, seeming like the moment was infinite.

After a few more beats, they slowly and reluctantly separated their lips from each other. Both still trying to catch their breath, they looked at one another with awe. Jake placed his forehead against hers. Jake opened his eyes and saw a smile rising on Amy's face. Being contagious, he smiled along, and then began to laugh.

"We've been missing out on this for how long?" Jake asked, astonished that they hadn't realized what they had and take action to their feelings sooner.

"Too long Peralta, too long." Amy couldn't help but saying, even though his question was rhetorical.

"Do you want to take a walk, or something?" he asked.

Amy observed him for a second, taking in the sincerity and nervousness in his eyes. The way he said it made it seem like it was the spur of the moment request. However, looking at him carefully, she saw that like herself, he had been thinking their relationship through greatly. That made her heart beat even faster than it currently was.

"I didn't know romantic midnight strolls were your thing Peralta?"

"Not usually. But when you're with me, I find myself enjoying things a whole lot more," he confessed.

A beaming smile grew on her face, taking in the words that Jake muttered that were full of meaning, and dare she say love.

If he was brave enough to speak such truthfulness, so was she.

"You make everything better when you're around," She admitted, with a touch of an affectionate smile.

Jake let out a sigh of relief, loving the affection in her voice and in her features when she spoke. He looked down at her hand, delicately putting his hand in hers. Gently he moved his thumb against her hand, taking in how incredible it felt.

"Then let's take that walk, shall we?" He said confidently.

She warmly nodded, and their feet moved forward in unison. They weren't sure where they were walking to, but it didn't seem to matter because his hand was finally in hers.

They were taking this momentously amazing risk because although the future was never definite, perusing their happiness and feelings seemed to leave their fears and doubts in the dust behind them. Whatever craziness was to come their way, they would face together, romantic stylez.


End file.
